ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The Rochester Police Locust Club demands an apology after comments made by an elected official about Monday’s officer involved shooting in the Park Avenue neighborhood.
During a vote Tuesday night to fund renovations in an office for Rochester police, Council Member Stanley Martin was the sole no vote.
Martin says she withheld support because body cam footage from the shooting had not yet been released.
“Yesterday, RPD killed a man who was running from them,” Martin said during the meeting. “I can’t see how we can continue to fund RPD without seeing the body camera footage. Without seeing what actually happened. So, it’s a no for me.”
Witness video showed a deputy firing at the suspect while holding a knife. However, police say he wasn’t killed until a confrontation behind a home on Barrington Street when he allegedly pointed a shotgun at officers and refused to put it down.
The funding for Rochester police did pass.
Rochester Police Locust Club President Michael Mazzeo released a statement Thursday in response to Martin’s comments. Mazzeo called the comments made by Martin “inappropriate, irresponsible, and demeaning to the men and women of the Rochester Police Department.”
The statement also called for Martin to be renounced publicly for what Mazzeo called her “harmful words.”
READ MAZZEO’S FULL STATEMENT:
“The comments made by Council Member Stanley Martin in last Tuesday’s council meeting shows her consistent pattern of biased and extremist anti-police rants. No elected official should represent and carry out the responsibilities of their office driven only by personal biases and agenda. Martin is the first to speak out on systemic failures and single-minded opinions only when it is contrary to her own personal beliefs.
Her comments were inappropriate, irresponsible, and demeaning to the men and woman of the Rochester Police Department and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department who willingly placed their lives in danger in order to save innocent lives from an armed individual that repeatedly showed he had no regard for the lives of others. Council Member Martin believes she is above reproach simply because she believes her values and opinions are more important than the collective voice of the public that seeks and deserves safety on our streets, in our neighborhoods, and in our schools.
On behalf of the brave men and woman who, unlike Council Member Martin, have sworn to serve and protect everyone in our community we demand an immediate public apology from Martin, who spoke out with careless and callous words that the public overwhelmingly does not support.
We also request that the President of City Council and the other Council Members join us in this demand. We ask them to also renounce Council Member Martin publicly for her harmful words and also that they recognize the actions of the police officers and deputies who unselfishly placed their lives in danger in order to protect the lives of innocent men, woman, and children.
We also ask the public to join us in calling out Council Member Martin for her unprofessional conduct and her careless actions of condemning heroic actions of the police officers and deputies without having any factual information whatsoever.”
On Thursday evening, Council Member Stanley Martin shared her support for the family and friends of Brendon Burns, saying “his last moments on this earth were plagued by fear and abject terror.”
Martin added at the bottom of her statement, “I join my constituents in calling for transparency from RPD and the Sheriff’s Department in releasing information to the public.”
READ THE FULL STATEMENT FROM MARTIN HERE:
“Mr. Burns was a human being who was loved by many. I share my deepest condolences with
the family and friends of Mr. Burns. His last moments on this earth were plagued by fear and
abject terror. My sympathies are also with the neighborhood residents who have shared their
horror after seeing their neighborhoods occupied by militarized police, and their fear for the
safety of their children who experienced indiscriminate shooting near their school. Moments like these shape our youth and our communities; I hope for healing and remain committed to reviewing police policies and protocols that resulted in this tragic incident.
Reflecting on Mr. Burns’ killing on the 3-year anniversary of Daniel Prude’s killing is sombering.
The loss of human life in such a violent manner calls for pause and transformation. We must
revisit how we support people living with mental illness and take every step to coordinate mental health resources. We cannot continue business as usual. Lethal force should be an absolute last resort, and every possible option should’ve been explored to keep him alive, especially considering the level of resources and coordination that were brought to bear in this incident. I’m deeply troubled by the fact that Mr. Burns will never have a chance at redemption.
I join my constituents in calling for transparency from RPD and the Sheriffs Department in
releasing information to the public, including an explanation of how the situation escalated to the point of killing a person and endangering a neighborhood and school children.
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